Before you watch this video, have a look at the instructions or read the description below — they contain the secrets that will help you master the trick. Remember, the real magic lies in the details!
The trick in a nutshell
Thanks to the magical arrangement of the deck, you can show the audience the queens of hearts one moment and the other cards the next. This is one of those tricks that makes a huge impression on the audience.
Preparing the trick
- The deck consists of 54 cards: 27 long and 27 short (all the short cards are queens of hearts), with each short card being 1 mm shorter than a long one.
- Arrange the long and short cards alternately: short – long – short – long (i.e. Queen of Hearts, regular card, Queen of Hearts, regular card, etc.).
- Each short card (Queen of Hearts) has an empty star in the top left corner of the back, which helps with identification.
- The surface of the cards has been specially treated so that the increased friction between the front of the short cards and the back of the long cards ensures they lie flush against each other. The entire deck should be arranged in the correct order – one long card, one short card.
- Before each performance, tap the deck lightly on the table to align the cards and prepare them for use.
Performance
- Arrange the deck as described in the ‘Preparing the trick’ section and tap it lightly against the table.
- Show the front of the deck by sliding the cards with your thumb from front to back (towards you), so that all the cards are visible to the spectator as you slide them. They will get the impression that the deck contains only ordinary cards.
- Ask the spectator to insert their finger into any space between the cards at a moment of their choosing.
- Ask the spectator to take the card on which their finger is resting and to memorise it. The spectator is convinced that the choice is random, but in reality the chosen card will always be the Queen of Hearts.
- Ask the spectator to memorise the card and put it back in its place.
- You already know which card the spectator has chosen, but for greater effect, stack the cards and fan them out face down. Select one card from the top (remember, it must be the card with the blank star) and show it to the spectator, telling them which card it is.